Aronofsky Talks Science, Death and The Fountain

Say what you will about "The Fountain", Darren Aronofsky's third feature, and many have said a lot -- "pretentious," "bloated," "ambitious," "banal," "tedious" -- but there's one thing that's for sure: it is perhaps the most original studio film in decades. How did Aronofsky, whose career I have followed from "Pi" to "Requiem for a Dream", manage to convince Warner Bros and New Regency Pictures to front him the millions of dollars to make this psychedelic sci-fi meditation on one man's refusal to accept the death of his loved one? And will the film find an audience, any audience this weekend? It's certainly more unique than any other film out there -- though I hear "Tenacious D" is a pretty wild trip, too. For this Seed Magazine interview, I spoke with Darren less about such pressing industry questions and more about his obsession with scientific themes and representations.